The 3 year old in my house
loves this soup. She calls the white fungus “jelly fish” and the quail eggs “baby
eggs”. She can finish a whole bowl of the soup.
Cloud ears or white fungus is a type of fungi quite
similar to wood ear fungus but are more delicate in texture and lighter in
color and is sometimes called snow fungus. It is composed
of many tightly clustered florets that are white in colour tinged with a pale
shade of yellow. The florets of the fungus have a firm jelly-like texture and
branch out from the hard yellow centre at the core of the fungus. It has
very little flavour and tends to absorb the flavour of whatever it’s
cooked with. It is commonly used in soups, porridge for children, Chinese
style desserts or vegetarian stir fries. White fungus is commonly used in
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to moisten and clear the lungs, nourish
the body, heal dry coughs, and keeps the skin young. Some
research shows that white fungus can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels
and help to relieve exhaustion and fatigue.
When buying good quality white fungus, look out for ones that have
a yellow tinge in colour. Fungus that is purely white would indicate that the
fungus underwent bleaching and may be contaminated by chemicals. Secondly, look
out for the tightness of florets. The more tightly packed the florets of the
fungus are, the higher the quality of the fungus. If the florets are big and
loose the fungus will become mushy instead of crunchy.
White
fungus (not too much as it will increase in size and quantity after soaking)
Quail
eggs
Spring
onion for garnishing (optional)
Hard
boil the eggs
Remove
the egg shells and rinse
Soak in cold water for at least half an hour.
Make sure it is submerged completely.
The fungus will increase in size and turn from its opaque pale
yellowish-white colour to a translucent tone.
Trim
away the hard bottom and tear the florets into
smaller pieces
Put
the fungus and eggs into the prepared stock.
Add
salt and pepper.
Simmer on low heat
for ½ an hour and it is ready
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